Cal Fire: 3-Day Prescribed Burn On Highway 128 In Yolo County

YOLO COUNTY, CA — Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit along with the fire departments from Yolo County, Solano County and Napa County will be conducting a prescribed burn Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 8-10, along Highway 128 between Pleasant Valley Road and Canyon Creek Resort in Yolo County.

The burn will take place in the morning to avoid the heat of the day and increased fire activity, Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said in a news release. The agency plans to burn approximately 50 acres, with ignition starting at 6 a.m. and ending at 11:30 a.m. each day, or as conditions change.

An engine will be out in the area all day and into the evening, patrolling the fire.

Residents and commuters can expect to see smoke in the air during this time, along with fire apparatus in the area, and can expect single-lane traffic control.

The area to be treated has seen six large fires over the last six years.

The project is a collaboration between Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, the Napa Solano Audubon Society, local residents, Yolo County Resource Conservation District, Yolo County Office of Emergency Services, and Caltrans.

Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Shana Jones directed her staff to conduct prescribed fire projects to reduce available fuel that could feed another large fire in the future.

The Highway 128 prescribed burn project is designed to create an annual fire break to prevent fires originating on Highway 128 from spreading into the steep rugged country to the north where firefighting is extremely difficult.

The completed fire line will be approximately 6 miles long and range from 10- to 250-feet wide.

To minimize environmental impact, the project will use existing ranch roads and connect them with handline constructed by Cal Fire crews, the agency said.

The control line will allow firefighters to burn the grass on the north side of the highway, clearing the area of fuel that could otherwise start a wildland fire.

The prescribed burn will comply with the requirements of the Yolo Solano Air Quality Management District, Cal Fire said.

"These prescribed vegetation management burns are carefully planned and must meet strict criteria for ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management, and fire safety guidelines," Cal Fire said. "When all conditions are met, trained wildland firefighters conduct the burn while monitoring the set criteria, fire behavior, and designated fire control lines."